#hopkinsandharper: a year in pictures

Yesterday marked one year of being with Jonathan, and we haven’t really had adequate time to celebrate it yet, since our dinner plans were hijacked by a planning meeting at work. However, we were together and the meeting was also a blast, so I’ll let it go! Tonight, we are going to dinner and going to have a lovely evening together. I thought I’d share a few pictures from our journey and just highlight a few of my favorite moments in our story so far. It’s been one heck of a year and I’ve had the time of my life with him.

This picture is from August 27, 2017, which was two months before we began dating. We didn’t hang out alone together and we didn’t ride in cars alone with each other, so this became our way of communicating and “hanging out.” We FaceTimed each other, sometimes for hours at a time. Pardon the really poor appearance on my part. I just thought he looked really cute.

This picture was taken October 29, 2017. This was the night we started dating. We immediately went out to get milkshakes from Cookout. As I got into his car that night, my sweater, which was a very long sweater with pockets, got shut in the car door. Unfortunately, inside the pocket that got shut in the door (or mostly shut) was my iPhone. I bent my phone on the night we started dating. It was bad. Thankfully, I was able to get it replaced quickly. I didn’t really care, I had a new boyfriend. I had the best boyfriend. Also, we had our first kiss that night. We had waited months, and it was time. It was Jonathan’s first kiss and he felt queasy leading up to it.

This picture was taken on November 11, 2017. We had our official date that day and we ended up going to Carter Mountain to pick some apples. We took a lotof pictures that day and I remember us having an intense debate about what we would hashtag it. The hashtag #hopkinsandharper stuck. This is the picture I used on social media to debut our relationship to the world. Excuse the chapped lips, I was in the middle of taking Accutane, which is a post for another day.

We went to Christmas Town at Busch Gardens on December 8, 2017. It started out kind of a hot mess, with him thinking he got free admission with the purchase of a season pass, which was not the case. It was freezing and raining, so there were a few unpleasant disadvantages to going that day. However, there was hot chocolate, good shows, awesome company, and we ended up driving home in a winter wonderland.

December 25, 2017. I was not expecting an appearance from this guy. After all, we’d just been a part of three services at church the day before and we were both exhausted. What a cutie ugh.

January 27, 2018, also known as the day that we said “I love you” for the first time. He first tried to spell out “love’ in white rocks where we were sitting on a swing in the back yard at his parents’ river house. I knew what was coming, but I waited for him to say it first. Eventually he did, and I responded, “I know.” Then after a few moments, I said it back.

We took a lot of really good little weekend trips this year, including March 24, 2018 to Westmoreland State Park. We have plans to stay there one day in a cabin.

On March 27, 2018, my birthday, we got Thai food and gelato. Of course this guy was with me just being the cutest.

I was not really expecting to be invited along for the Harper family vacation to Corolla this year (May 31, 2018), but I’m very glad I was. We had an absolute blast unplugging and getting away and taking awkward couple pics.

On July 6, 2018, we went to an audiologist’s office so I could get custom molds for custom in-ears. I had such a positive experience and they were so affordable, Jonathan decided to get some too! Apparently, we both have beautiful ears.

Here’s us overlooking the James River in Richmond following my mom’s birthday dinner on July 20, 2018. After this, we all got dessert downtown and he tangoed with my mom.

On July 30, 2018, we went on a trip to Luray Caverns. Apparently, the plan was that he would propose that day. It was not a super pleasant trip and ended up with some emergency car maintenance. I’m glad this was not the day he chose.

August 3, 2018. A picture’s worth a thousand words.

We celebrated Jon’s birthday a day early, September 23, 2018, with a cooking class. It was a total surprise and we got down in the kitchen as we made two really great pizzas.

I’m sure that I’ll get some really great pictures this evening with my love, as we celebrate our year over dinner. That’s year one, guys! On to year two.